Disasters

Disasters
By: Brad Hoepfner

Disasters and disaster relief research has been a huge portion of my recent studies. As many of you should know, a massive earthquake hit Haiti in 2010. Efforts to help Haiti have come in all sizes from FEMA sending loads of tents, other small structures and food, giving the children of Haiti some general education they crave, and attempts to create new architecture or remake the old.

One piece of important architecture in Haiti was the Port-au-Prince Cathedral. It was damaged extensively during the earthquake and only the damaged exterior walls stood while the roof and bell towers were completely removed. Complete reconstruction was the only solution for this, so the University of Miami’s school of architecture program partnered with the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, and Faith and Form Magazine. These groups held a competition to completely remake the cathedral and 134 plans were submitted for the project.

“The first place winner was headed by Puerto Rican architect Segundo Cardono, while third and fourth places went to local Miami architects Steven Felt and Christopher Glapinski. Plater-Zyberk (Dean of the college) led a panel of six judges that included architect and former minister of tourism for Haiti, Michael Crosbie”(themiamihurricane).

With efforts like this and many others, people start to truly help the ones affected so harshly by disasters. Allowing student and professionals to work together or compete against each other may help resolve or even bring to light the many difficult situations that surround architecture and disasters.

Much of this information came from http://www.themiamihurricane.com/2013/02/06/architecture-students-inspire-reconstruction-of-haiti/ if you want to find out more.